254 HUNTING IN THE JUNGLE. 



was mounted a son of the rajah, now on his first hunt ; 

 the hitter, however, had the good sense to desert his 

 mount, and leave the poor thing to its fate. 



Immediately we all let loose our guepards, which fell 

 upon the prey with their sharp teeth and indomitable 

 courage. The fight became general ; the wounded tiger 

 lield its own against the numerous foe, putting several 

 liors du combat, laying them open with its fearful claws. 

 or meeting its fangs in their throats. The struggle was 

 intense, and the rajah's enjoyment of it was too, for he 

 would not let me end it with a shot from my good rifle. 

 After some minutes of this kind of thing he gave his 

 men a siscnal, and thev surrounded the combatants and 

 with their spears put an end to the tiger, and drew off 

 the limping guepards. 



On my return I found the following letter from an old 

 hunting companion in Africa : — 



My dear Friend, — There are days when I envy you 

 your lot. In the immense plains of the Ganges you meet 

 only enemies that attack openly, and from whom you 

 fear no surprise ; but here everything is different. As you 

 know, we have to fight and watch constantly ; and it is 

 not the natives that annoy us the most, for a few shots 

 will drive them away. In fact, on the banks of the Niger 

 all is not roses. In the first place, there is the terrible 

 fever which you draw in at every breath, and to which the 

 strongest man succumbs in two days. You have had a 



